Jazz drummer Yoron Israel to perform in Brockton

Sunday

Feb 11, 2018 at 6:19 PM

By Ed Symkus/For The Patriot Ledger

It apparently wasn’t enough for drummer Yoron Israel to be co-chairing the Percussion Department at Berklee, an in-demand sideman for both live performance and studio work, and the leader of three very different jazz groups: High Standards, Connection, and Organic. Israel had to go and start yet another group, New Dreams.

“Right now, I’m putting a lot of emphasis on this new group, because we’re preparing for a new record,” said Israel by phone from his home in Brockton.

Consisting of Israel on drums, Will Slater on bass, and Witness Matlou on piano, New Dreams is performing a concert in Israel’s series “Jazz in the Sanctuary – South Shore” at Messiah Baptist Church in Brockton on Feb. 16. Joining the trio is guest vocalist Vanessa Rubin.

“The idea is to bring the music to a sanctuary environment where everybody is welcome, and the theme of the concert is ‘All About Love’,” said Israel. “I believe the world needs some more love. I know that’s a cliché, but I’ve been meditating on that concept and what it means. So that will be the theme of the song choices. We’ll be doing some of my original pieces, and others, including compositions by [pianists] Cedar Walton and Mulgrew Miller in tribute to their memories.”

Israel’s earliest recollection of being involved in music had nothing to do with drums. Growing up in Chicago, his first instrument was his voice, as he was part of the youth choir in his church.

“Later on, that morphed into an opportunity to be introduced to the instruments,” he said. “My first love was keyboards – organ and piano – and my first formal training was as a pianist, which I started when I was in second grade.”

It was years later, when he got to junior high school, and wanted to be part of the band – where there was no space for a pianist – that he began playing percussion, everything from tympani to bass drum and snare. When he joined the school’s jazz band, he moved on to playing a full drum set.

Israel’s introduction to life as a professional musician got going right around that time, when his uncle, who had an R&B band called Inner City, invited him to sit in.

“They already had a drummer, but they would feature me on a few songs on hand percussion,” he said. “So, I was part of the band, and I took great pride in that as a kid.”

He even did a couple of tours with Inner City in the southern states, and before long was playing in other bands. One day, he started his own, taking on the duties of being the leader.

“There was music I wanted to play, and certain musical concepts I wanted to experience,” said Israel. “I had been watching people like [drummers] Tony Williams, Jack DeJohnette, and Max Roach. Those gentlemen presented a premise that was beyond the drums. They presented something in terms of being composers, arrangers, bandleaders, recording artists – and being musicians Not just drummers, but musicians. So, the evolution of leading a band was kind of a natural progression for me because of what I was experiencing. I started as a leader during my undergraduate years, with my quintet.”

After earning his bachelor’s degree in music at Chicago’s Roosevelt University, Israel moved to New York, where the action was. He played out a lot, he earned a master’s degree in music at Rutgers University, and managed to balance a career of going out on the road with bands and teaching music at several schools, knowing that future plans included becoming more involved in education. But that opportunity came a little sooner than he expected.

“In 2000, I met [saxophonist] Bill Pierce,” said Israel, referring to the Berklee faculty member who now chairs the school’s Woodwind Department, and had played and recorded with Tony Williams. “A position came up at Berklee, as chair of the Ensemble Department, and Bill recommended me for it. I did not get that position, but about two months later, there was an opening in the Percussion Department and I was invited back. I did get that!”

Now busier than ever, Israel still finds time to compose, usually sitting down at his trusty piano, which he generally uses as his main source of a starting point.

“But lately I’ve been thinking of ways to write from the drums,” he said, “and then moving it to the other instruments. There are some new compositions I’ve been working on from that perspective. But I also always keep my iPhone by my bed in case I wake up in the middle of the night with a melodic idea.”